Five Years
by dArkAnge04
Summary: Five years have passed since Ichigo and Rukia have seen each other. Rukia is returning to Karakura. Will they finally become ichiruki or part as Ichigo and Rukia
1. Rukia's prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Ulquiorra would've lived.

Five Years

Five years had passed. Five years since Rukia stood in front of the orange haired shinigami and said goodbye. Five years since she disappeared from his sight and she choked back tears as she ran through the portal behind her brother. In five years, she went through severe depression which led to her training most of her days. Surprisingly, she attained a bankai and was promoted to lieutenant of the 13th division. She had been offered the opportunity to try for captain but she didn't feel ready for that yet. She saw Renji cucle through numerous girlfriends, Rangiku mourn Gin's death, Hinomori heal from the war and her nii-sama loosen up a little with her, occasionally having a pleasant conversation with her. She saw two shinigami get promoted to captain, filling the spots previously held by Tosen taicho and Ichimaru taicho but no one dared to fill the spot held by Aizen taicho. There were rumors that the spot was haunted though Rukia knew people were just making up silly theories. Rukia dated a few men, laughed with friends, visited Rukongai and played with the children there but through all five years she felt empty. She told herself that she missed the wonders of the human world, she missed her friends, the strange food and the school. However, she knew in her heart she missed the orange haired ex-shinigami, the boy – well man now – who stole her heart without her knowing. In these five years she dreamt about seeing him again, fighting beside him again, leaning close enough to feel his warmth, and finally telling him how she felt about him.

So here she stood, Kuchiki Rukia, lieutenant of the thirteenth division with hair now reaching past her shoulders, purple eyes shining brightly, framed with slightly dark rims from lack of sleep, and an order in her hand from the first division. It simply stated that she is to be stationed in Karakura town for the next year as they felt that she was ready and she had gotten over her previous attachments to the place. Little did they know, she thought bitterly. Rukia shunpoed to the Kuchiki manor to find Byakuya and inform him of her order. She took out Sode no Shirayuki and looked at it making sure it was fit for her new assignment. She then looked at herself in the mirror and wondered what Ichigo would say about her new appearance, if he would even see her at all. She ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her uniform. She walked out of the Kuchiki manor towards the portal. She didn't look back as she walked into it. Kuchiki Rukia smiled as she went through and thought – _I can't wait to see you strawberry_.

Please Read and Review. Arigatou!


	2. Ichigo's prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, or its characters. If I had, Ichigo's hair would've stayed slightly long-ish

He had grown up. Everyone told him he had. In the time that had passed, Ichigo had become a little taller, grown his hair out to his shoulders and started wearing black framed reading glasses. He needed them to see the words on the page but he really wished they would help him see what he truly wanted to see. Ichigo always remembered the day he defeated Aizen and he always remembered the day his favorite midget started to disappear. Every time he thought about it, he would wish he had grabbed her and held her tight. He wished he hadn't just let her go without trying anything. He wished he hadn't remained calm. But most of all, he wished he had told her how he felt about her. Ichigo, depressed and extremely reserved, focused all his energy on his grades the first year, trying to forget that he used to see spirits. He came within the top 10 of his class in high school, almost giving Ishida a challenge. One day, he suddenly decided he wanted to see spirits again, so he started training every day after that at Urahara's underground room. He took up a job to earn some money and still worked with his dad at the clinic, trying to help as much as he could. Within three years he had made significant progress and was able to see spirits again. But that was as far as he had gotten in five years. He couldn't hear Zangetsu, he couldn't feel anyone's reitsu and he couldn't fight hollows. Not that he wanted to, without her.

He saw Ishida take off at odd times during the day to fight hollows as he knew the afro-headed shinigami was useless. He saw Inoue try to get closer to him as he shunned her more until she eventually gave up trying. He saw Chad break out of his shell and actually talk to girls and eventually start dating Tatsuki. He was present when Urahara and Yoruichi announced that they were getting married. He saw Yuzu and Karin grow up and he didn't stop trying to threaten boys they brought home. He joined university with all of his friends and moved out of his house deciding to give himself some space from his room that held so many memories of her. He chose to work towards becoming a doctor like his father since his dream of becoming a captain in the Gotei 13 was impossible now. He was shocked to find that Urahara had found a way to bring back a few ex-espada and that they were now attending his university. However, he was relieved to see Orihime and Ulquiorra start up a relationship. He eventually opened up and became friends with Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Nel. He was quite popular among the women in college but as they fawned over him, his eyes only scanned for her purple ones and when they weren't found, he dejectedly walked away from the mob. With everything happening in his life, he couldn't help but think about her and her purple orbs every night. He even missed her kicks at his shins which made him wonder if she had gotten taller. He wondered why she hadn't visited, why she didn't at least try to send him a message. On this particular day, when he was completely unaware of Rukia's impending visit, he walked along his friends and looked at the sky and thought – _Wish you were here midget_.

A/N: I decided to put glasses on Ichigo because I absolutely love that picture of him where he is reading and staring at the camera with his pink framed glasses. I basically pictured them this way…except black

_Reviews make the world a happy place. Arigatou_


	3. Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach…If I did Grimmjow wouldn't wear that sad excuse for a shirt, he would just be topless

Rukia arrived at Karakura in front of Urahara's shop and saw the ex-taicho standing there as though he was expecting her. He looked at her and smiled and gave her a piece of paper before turning back towards the store and closing the door behind him. Rukia looked at the paper and saw what looked like an address. She made a mental note to go there later but she wanted to get to Ichigo's. She shunpoed there and went to his window, opening it and walking in as though she had been doing this forever. Her heart sunk when she saw that his room looked empty. She saw his belongings were gone except for a couple of posters and pictures on the wall. Her makeshift bed in the closet however remained exactly the same as when she had slept there. She walked over to Ichigo's bed and ran her hand over the sheets that looked like it hadn't been used in a while. She started thinking back to all those days where she sat a few feet from him as he lay on his bed reading his favorite manga. She remembered how, even then, she had longed to be brave enough to walk over to him and merely lay in the bed next to him, just to revel in his warmth. She chuckled a little remembering such a trivial thought now. She started to turn away to ask Urahara where Ichigo was when the door to his bedroom opened. She turned around expecting to see an orange haired teen stumble through but was disappointed to see Kurosaki Karin staring back at her. Karin had grown up since she had last seen her. She had grown from the small, tom-boyish child to a girl with long hair who was filling out her curves. She knew Karin was now Karakura's shinigami-daiko from the reports submitted to soul society. Karin had sensed a strong and familiar reitsu from Ichigo's room and had run in. Rukia smiled at the girl and simply said, "You've become taller than me. Has Yuzu grown taller as well? I may have to finally start shopping for my own clothes instead of stealing both of yours."

Karin knew Rukia was just making small talk and was anxious to leave and find Ichigo. "Ichigo doesn't live here anymore. He is in college now ... he lives in an apartment close to there. I can give you the address if you want. It's not too far from here."

Rukia was surprised by Karin's response but she just smiled and looked down at the piece of paper in her hand. She walked up to Karin and handed her the paper and asked, "Is this it?" Karin glanced down to find Ichigo's address carefully written on the scrap piece of paper. Karin simply nodded and Rukia grinned at her and said, "I will visit again, just let me find him first." Rukia made a mental note to thank Urahara later.

Rukia then shunpoed out of the room and got to the roof of the Kurosaki clinic. She looked at the address again and mentally kicked herself because she honestly had no clue where it was. She knew she could've asked Karin but she decided to leave the girl alone and figure this out herself. After all, she had that Kuchiki pride that stopped her from getting help from anyone. Rukia closed her eyes and tried to sense his soul ribbon but was having a hard time locating it. She knew once he lost his powers, he was just another white ribbon in the sea of a million other white ribbons. She wished he still had that red soul ribbon that overflowed with his reitsu. She opened her eyes and decided she would just try her luck. Rukia jumped off the roof and started walking away from the clinic. She pulled out her soul pager and used it to look at the roads and landmarks ahead of her and continued in the direction she started. Just as she felt more confident about her choice of direction, the pager beeped signaling a hollow on the other end of the town. Rukia sighed and shunpoed in that direction. She knew she had to answer the call since Soul Society had dispatched her to be responsible for the town. She didn't want to get in trouble or be thrown in jail again for neglecting her job. As she headed in the supposed opposite direction of Ichigo, she thought to herself –_You have waited this long to see him, it's just another hour or two, right?_

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><p>Ichigo was actually dreading the fact that today was Friday. It wasn't just any Friday though. It was the third Friday of the month. This meant all his friends were going to cram into his apartment, have a few drinks and talk about how things have been going. The tradition started after he lost his powers. Orihime felt that he needed his friends around him to cheer him up and they would all meet at his house and just talk. His father graciously accepted being the host of these "cheer up Ichigo" parties. Later, the parties turned into Orihime's way of slowly incorporating the ex-espada into the group as well as including Keigo and Mizuiro in their lives as they didn't go to the same university as the rest of them. His first year, he had no roommate but had to get one his second year due to financial constraints.<p>

His new roommate, who he feared would get upset by his friends constantly dropping by, easily incorporated in the group. It usually took him a while to get used to someone but with her he felt like he had some previous connection he could never place. Everything about her was familiar from her dark hair to her odd orange eyes but he had no recollection of why. Other than this nagging feeling of familiarity, he felt extremely comfortable with her. He would stay up talking to her all through the night, forgetting he had class the next morning. He eventually opened up to her about his days as a shinigami only to find that she could see souls as well. She confided to him that she had no memory of her past before she started college but she knew she was there to live her life to the fullest and she truly did that. His friends were happy that she became a part of his life as she brought out a smile from Ichigo every once in a while with her quirky antics.

…

Even though Ichigo knew he always ended up having fun at these parties, he was regretting this ritual today. He just wanted peace and quiet even though he knew that meant he would start thinking about _her._ Ichigo got back to his place and plopped down on his bed, passing out almost instantly. He then started having strange dreams of orange haired bunnies playing with shorter black haired ones…

Ichigo woke up to the sound of voices coming from his living room and one much louder voice right next to him. He tried to ignore the voice until he felt a pressure on his back. "Ichigo! Get up you lazy head. Everyone is here", Senna yelled as she started jumping on him. At that moment, even with his growing irritation, he couldn't help but smile inwardly at the memories of Rukia waking him up in a similar fashion. He then suddenly turned over, knocking Senna off the bed and heard her fall with a thud. She then proceeded to yell out a string of curses at him, causing him to chuckle a little before rolling out of bed. He looked at his messy hair and tried to push it down with his hands but his stubborn mop wouldn't listen. Finally giving up, he walked over to Senna and held out a hand for her. She took it, jumped on the bed and held her hands out, signaling that he should carry her out. "I might forgive you if you carry me out there…" she said with a glimmer in her eyes. Ichigo sighed and turned around, allowing her to jump on. There was a slight familiarity to this action, like he had carried her around sometime before but he still couldn't place it. He carried her out, all the while wishing he had a different dark haired girl on his back. Ichigo saw all his friends spread out around the living room, daring each other to try Orihime's newest culinary catastrophe. They all stopped talking immediately when they saw Ichigo and the position he was in. He simply sighed and said, "I dropped her so I had to pick her back up." He saw his friends give a quizzical look before returning to their conversations. As he headed towards the couch, he saw Ishida, Orihime, and Chad all stiffen at the same time. Ishida then proceeded to stand up and Orihime stood as well walking with Ishida to the door. Orihime whispered to Ishida, "When you find her, ask her come back…for him." Ishida nodded and ran out of the door. Ichigo figured they had sensed a hollow and had felt a little sad that it wasn't him running out. He didn't know that all his friends had stopped because they felt the familiar reitsu that belonged to a certain raven haired shinigami. He gently placed Senna down on the couch and looked out the window thinking – _I wish I was out there fighting with her again_

A/N: There was a lot of referencing to Memories of Nobody in this chapter. I really loved Senna in the movie and always saw her as a really good fit for Ichigo. He is always so brooding and she is so peppy.

This chapter was still kinda just getting to some action, it's just not there yet. Thanks for the reviews and the favorites Please read and review.


	4. Meeting

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters. If I did, Urahara and Yoruichi would've been married by now!

Rukia had reached the hollow in no time and unsheathed Sode no Shirayuki. The hollow looked like a lizard with green scales running across its back. Its tail was equipped with a stinger and it started charging at her with its sharp claws. The hollow tried swiping at her but it wasn't as fast as Rukia. It decided to use its special technique and spit acid at her which Rukia gracefully dodged. The hollow continued spitting acid at her when she saw a blinding light in the form of an arrow hit the hollow on its arm, severing it from the rest of its body. Rukia looked up to see Ishida staring down with his glowing bow prepped to attack again. She then felt a stinging sensation on her left shoulder and turned around to see that there were now two hollows, one that had come from the arm Ishida shot off. In her momentary distraction at seeing her old friend, they had shot acid at her shoulder rendering that arm useless. Ishida jumped down from the bridge he was standing on and ran towards Rukia.

At the same time, Rukia lifted her sword and screamed, "Some no Mai, Tsukishiro" and encased the two lizards in a pillar of ice leaving them as dead. Ishida came up to her and apologized for distracting her during battle.

Rukia smiled and said, "It's not your fault. I'm just glad to see you again!"

She was about to ask Ishida how he had been when he pulled his bow out again and shot several arrows behind her at the hollows that had somehow gotten out of the ice pillar. Unfortunately, the hollows multiplied and surrounded Ishida and Rukia. As they all spit out the corrosive liquid at them, Ishida noticed that only one of them was real and the rest were fakes. He told Rukia to stand back as he lunged towards the original. The hollow slithered towards him and they exchanged attacks before Ishida made his final blow to its head. Just as this was happening, Rukia was fighting the copies. She knew once Ishida got the original the rest would disappear and for a moment she thought about how she was almost home free and ready to see Ichigo. Just then one of the copies stabbed her in the gut with its tail. As the original hollow disappeared, the rest disappeared as well but the damage was done. Ishida, proud that he came out the battle practically unscathed, looked back to find Rukia lying on the ground with a giant stinger piercing through her stomach. Ishida ran towards her and pulled it out of her only to have it disappear in his hands. Rukia started to feel the poison that was stored in the stinger, spread through her body. He then carried her and told her to hang on for just a little while. Ishida wished really badly that Orihime had just come with him at that point. As Rukia closed her eyes with a sigh, she thought to herself – _Dammit Ichigo! Why did you have to come into my thoughts and distract me when I was fighting…_

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><p>Ichigo was laughing as Senna was trying to teach Ulquiorra about rap music. The ex-espada was really confused by the point of such music as Senna kept playing different songs and singing with them, completely out of tune of course. Ichigo looked to find Orihime and Chad both looking out the window, completely oblivious to the scene in front of them. He knew they were concentrating on Ishida's reitsu to make sure he was fine during battle. They did this everytime Ishida went to battle hollows to make sure he didn't require help at any point. Suddenly, they both stood up and Orihime looked at Chad and asked, "Should we go?" Chad shook his head and said, "Seems like he is coming back here, let's wait." They both could sense Rukia's reitsu getting weaker. Everyone else looked at them quizzically before Ulquiorra asked, "Is the quincy alright?"<p>

Orihime hesitated,"Ya…Ishida is fine but…" she trailed off.

Suddenly the door opened and Ishida walked in with an unconscious Rukia in his arms. Everyone in the room froze with their eyes locked on the sight in front of them.

"Orihime, she needs help!" Ishida yelled

Orihime ran over and used her soten kishun to put a barrier over the girl and the damage started to reverse slowly. Chad came over to Ishida and asked him if he was ok to which the Quincy just nodded. Senna saw the injured girl and turned her head towards Ichigo to make sure he was alright. Ichigo was in complete shock. Not only had Rukia returned to Karakura, she was hurt, badly. Ichigo didn't realized that his mouth was slightly opened. As he continued looking at the dark haired girl, his legs started moving on their own towards her. His vision was starting to get a little blurry though at the moment he couldn't figure out why. Senna watched him as his eyes started to tear up and as he started walking towards her. She had never seen Ichigo look as hollow as he seemed in that moment. Everyone had been asking Ishida what happened and he was recounting the story to them all. However, the moment Ichigo started moving, they all stopped and looked at him. He stopped as he was standing near her unconscious body when he dropped to his knees and reached his hand out to touch her, only to get shocked by Orihime's barrier.

"Sorry Ichigo, the poison was spreading through her body. Please just wait a little longer. She should be completely healed." Orihime said timidly, as she was trying to heal Rukia as fast as she could.

Ichigo looked like a lost child as he saw Rukia laying on his apartment floor. He noticed that her hair had grown longer and she seemed taller. She looked less childish and more like a woman. He saw just how beautiful Rukia had gotten in the time they spent apart. Senna walked up to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, telling him she was going to be fine. Ichigo felt Senna wrap her arms around him but he couldn't move. He just stayed in her comforting arms as his eyes never left Rukia. After what seemed like hours of no movement in the apartment, Rukia started opening her eyes. She quickly opened them and surveyed the scene around her. She saw Orihime with her hands over the orange barrier surrounding her, and Ishida, Chad and Tatsuki sitting on couches, staring at her. She saw Ulquiorra standing above Orihime and Grimmjow and Nel just sitting on the floor watching in awe. Finally, she saw Ichigo watching her attentively, his eyes getting slightly wider as she looked at him. And saw a strange girl standing behind him, hugging him. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing so she closed her eyes and opened them again to see the same sight as before. She closed her eyes again as a wave of disappointment and anger washed over her. Ichigo saw her open her eyes and froze completely, forgetting where he was or that Senna had her arms around him. At that moment it just seemed like the world was gone and it was just Rukia and him. Ichigo thought to himself as her purple eyes met his amber ones – _I'm so glad you are back. _

As Rukia felt her strength return she sighed gently, kept her eyes shut and thought –_ I was foolish to think you would wait for me._

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and favorites :) I think this story might end in another chapter or two. Please continue your awesome reviews. Merci!


	5. Finally

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach. If I did, Renji would wear his hair down :)

Finally

Orihime finally removed the barrier she had on Rukia's now completely healed body. Slightly exhausted from using her powers, she leaned back against Ulquiorra with a sigh as he wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. Everyone was now slowly finding reasons to excuse themselves from the get together as Keigo and Mizuiro showed up. Almost instantly, Chad and Tatsuki, who were muttering something about needing to look at something in Tatsuki's house, pushed them along before they could ask what was going on. Ishida looked over to Senna and asked her if she wanted to go get some ice cream. She immediately nodded and asked the others to join them. So they all left the apartment one by one leaving Ichigo and Rukia alone. Rukia heard everyone hastily leave but mentally refused to open her eyes and look at Ichigo. At the same time, Ichigo paid no attention to what was happening around him as he couldn't peel his eyes away from her. He had almost forgotten that he could touch her now that the barrier was gone…almost. He slowly moved his hand to cover her tiny one causing her to flinch a little. Ichigo was confused as to why she would do something like this.

"Are you still hurt?" He asked slowly

Rukia opened her eyes tentatively and saw Ichigo's confused amber eyes staring intently at her. She slowly rose, sneakily pulling her hand out of his and then scooted close to a wall to steady herself. Both of them never moved their eyes from each other. Ichigo saw her try to cover the hurt in her eyes though he wasn't sure what was causing them. He wanted to badly to go over to her and pull her into his arms. Rukia wanted to leave but she felt pinned in place by his eyes. She wished she had gotten a chance to tell him how she felt about him before he had found someone else. She knew this was really selfish of her and she should be happy for him. This is what she should've wanted right? She figured they were always friends, and partners and that was all they would be. She decided to stop beating herself up and just talk to her friend again. It was better than nothing after all.

"So you can see me again? How did that happen?" She asked half heartedly. She wasn't actually interested in hearing his answer. She just wanted to jump in his arms and kiss him senseless.

Ichigo was thrown off by her question but he quietly answered, "Lots of training I guess. I don't have my shinigami powers back. I can just see souls again."

"That's better than nothing, isn't it? Did Urahara say anything about you becoming a Shinigami again?"

"He just asked me to keep training…Rukia, why are we making small talk after so long?" Ichigo asked, slightly irritated with the idle banter.

"What do you mean? What more were you expecting? We are friends and we haven't seen each other. I am just trying to catch up I guess." Rukia looked away from him for the first time because as she started saying this, she knew she was lying. Her mind kept screaming at her to just tell him she loved him.

"I see. Well, I certainly didn't plan on having such a conversation when I saw you again. I expected something more midget"

"Midget! I have grown much taller for your information strawberry!" Rukia felt a small smile come back to her lips as she fought back. She had almost forgotten that this was their true relationship. Ridiculing each other was their way of showing they cared.

"So you got a little taller. An ant that becomes a little bigger is still an ant. Therefore you are still a midget." He said now smirking triumphantly

They both then proceeded in calling each other names all the while grinning at each other. Their eyes sparkled as they continued making fun of each other. Their arms were flailing as they yelled, pointing accusatory fingers at each other, all the while moving closer towards one another, unknowingly on Rukia's part. Without warning, while Rukia was in the middle of calling him a bakamono, Ichigo lunged forward and pulled her into his arms. Her arms automatically wrapped around him as though they had been planning to hug him this whole time. He gently placed his chin over her head as they both stayed in this position. They couldn't believe they had never done this before. In all that time they spent together, they had never once hugged each other before and now it felt like the most natural embrace between them. After several minutes that seemed like hours went by, he pulled away from her slightly and held her face in his hands. He was inches away from her when he started speaking.

"Rukia, I…"

Rukia cut him off. "Ichigo, I don't think we should be doing this. It's not fair to _her_. I should go." She stopped him because she knew it wasn't right that he had someone and he was here hugging her. It wasn't right that he looked like he was about to kiss her. She knew if he did, she might not have the strength to stop him.

Ichigo was once again confused by her. He started again, "Her? Are you talking about Orihime? She is with Ulquiorra now…"

"No, the other girl, the one with the black hair." Rukia's eyes started to tear up a bit.

"Senna? Why would she care? What are you talking about Rukia?"

"I saw her hugging you. Aren't you both together now? I don't want to come between you and her."

Ichigo started to smile again and instead of responding he decided to close the distance between them as he slowly placed his lips on her. Rukia's watery eyes widened in shock as he did his soft lips moved against hers. She then pushed him away and whacked his arm. "Baka! Did you not hear what I just said?"

Ichigo rubbed his arm, not because it hurt but just out of habit. "I did. I just thought it was stupid so I chose to ignore it. Senna and I are not together. She is my roommate. Although I guess she could be my type…I do have a thing for small dark haired girls." He said with a huge grin on his face

It was Rukia's turn to be confused before her mouth formed an 'O' as she realized Senna was probably just comforting Ichigo. She felt foolish for becoming jealous of such a small display of friendship. She then thought of what he had said about dark haired girls and blushed at idea that he could be talking about her. She looked at Ichigo sheepishly before deciding to make up for her error. She grabbed his T-shirt and pulled him in for a chaste kiss.

When they broke apart, she smiled at him, lighting up her purple orbs. "Dark haired girls, eh? You probably are only attracted to them because they balance out your blindingly bright hair!" she said playfully.

Ichigo scowled slightly. "It is not that bright. You know most people don't insult someone who just confessed their feelings for them."

"That was a confession? Wow, I knew you were bad with words but not this bad! How is anyone supposed to know how you feel about them when you are so bad at expressing yourself?" Rukia poked fun at him again. Her heart was actually racing and she was worried he could hear the thumping. She was trying to stay calm and joke around but the fact that he had told her that he had feelings for her made her want to jump in joy.

"I'm sorry for not saying it right." He said sticking his tongue out at her. His face then demurred and he slowly laced his fingers through hers, moving closer to her. He brought her hand to his mouth and slowly kissed the back of it. The feathery kiss made Rukia blush even more. He then lifted her other hand and kissed her palm with the same soft kiss. Ichigo then lifted his head and looked at her, intent on making it clear to her just how he felt.

"Rukia, I have liked you since the first time I met you, since you stabbed me with your sword. I fell in love with you when you told me not to follow you to Soul Society and left me for dead. It killed me to be away from you and to know you were in trouble. I wanted nothing more than to be close to you again and make all your sadness go away. It broke my heart when you decided to stay in Soul Society after I rescued you but I just wanted you to be happy. I was elated when you came back that I wanted to kiss you right then. I was devastated when I thought you were dying in Hueco Mundo. I should've told you how I felt about you when the war was over but I couldn't because I didn't know when I was going to see you again, if ever. It's always been you Rukia. No one else could steal my heart the way you did and I'm not letting you slip through my fingers again."

Rukia was always the one who had tons to say and Ichigo always answered with as few words as possible. But for once, the roles were reversed as Rukia stared speechlessly at Ichigo as he confessed his love for her. Ichigo finished speaking and looked at Rukia hopefully. Rukia let all the words sink in before she pounced on Ichigo, knocking him on his back and kissed him furiously. Rukia knew she could say something back to him but that would go against their relationship. They spoke more with their actions than words. After all, what Ichigo had done was already against their norm. Unlike their first two kisses, which were soft and sweet, this kiss was ravenous. She buried her hands in his hair reveling in how it felt between her fingers as he had one hand on her back and the other on her cheek. They were aware of the compromising position they were in and how it would look if someone came in just then, but they chose not to care about what others would think. They both were running out of oxygen quickly as their lips moved against each other but neither of them wanted to stop. Unfortunately, they had to break apart and both of them stared at each other intently as they both took deep breaths. Within seconds, they resumed their earlier position continuing the cycle of kissing, breathing and kissing again. Rukia felt Ichigo's warm hand brush against the bare skin of her neck and shuddered a little. They broke apart again and Ichigo made the quick decision to take this somewhere more comfortable than the wooden floor. He grabbed Rukia's forearms and lifted himself up with his elbows. He then moved her off of him before standing up and in one fluid motion lifted her up and put her over his shoulder eliciting a squeak from the small girl. He then walked into his room, dropped her on his bed and closed the door with his foot…

* * *

><p>"Dammit!" Senna yelled. "It was just getting good!"<p>

All their friends were standing around the window, spying on the couple inside. They only intended to stay long enough to hear them confess that they loved each other but things got heated before any of them had time to scramble. As all the rest of them blushed a little, Senna was thoroughly enjoying herself thinking of ways to make fun of Ichigo later.

"Um, Orihime, can I come stay with you and Ulquiorra tonight?" Senna asked quickly

Orihime nodded enthusiastically as Ulquiorra just sighed thinking about how he probably won't get much sleep that night.

They were all so glad Ichigo and Rukia had finally acknowledged how they felt. In an eerie, jinx worthy moment, they had all thought the same thing – _Finally!_

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><p>AN: YAY! They got together. I am planning to write a short epilogue to this story and then I can officially declare this story done. Thanks for the reviews and favorites :) As always please please review!


	6. Epilogue  Ichigo and Rukia

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. If I did, Ulquiorra and Orihime's hands would've met

Epilogue

Rukia ran her hands over the fabric of the beautiful white dress. _I can't believe it's really happening today_. The dress had an intricate bodice embroidered with lace. It was straight cut and had an open back, barely covered with thin strips of fabric in a criss-cross fashion. She looked at the beautiful veil that hung on another hanger near the dress and sighed. _It's so beautiful._ Ichigo walked into the room and saw _his_ Rukia in the closet playing with a white dress.

"Rukia?" He asked tentatively as he walked up to her. Rukia jolted in place and walked out of the closet and shut the door.

"What? Can't you knock or something?"She was actually happy to see him even though she had an irritated tone in her voice. Rukia and Ichigo had spent the past six months together and it had been the most wonderful six months. And today, they both knew, was going to be a special day everyone was going to remember.

"Why did you shut the door? I wanted to see the dress. Why are you hiding it from me anyways?"

Ichigo started walked towards her. She was still leaning against the closet door, her eyes burning as they always did when he was around. _Man, she really is beautiful. She is going to look fantastic today. _

"Well, I thought boys weren't allowed to see the dress or something. Isn't that the human tradition? If a boy sees the wedding dress, the wedding will have bad luck and rain."

Rukia placed her index finger on her chin as she spoke, as though she was deep in thought about how this theory works. She didn't notice Ichigo was standing right in front of her until he ruffled her hair and smiled warmly at her. _I'm glad he smiles more. It's the best smile I've ever seen._

"Actually, only the groom is banned from seeing the dress because it is thought to be bad luck. That's why Yoruichi gave the dress to you and Senna. You know Urahara is going to find some way to sneak a peek at the dress even if it _is_ bad luck. Besides, it's not like I am asking to see your dress, I just want to see the wedding dress." Ichigo walked past her to open the closet door before Rukia placed a hand on his arm. The warmth from her palm started to spread around his wrist as the touch surprised him.

Even with six months of being together, a simple touch between them made their hearts beat faster. Actions that were normal back when they were just friends were now deemed significant and each touch, hug, and kiss made them blush furiously. It would be a serious understatement to say that they both were extremely inexperienced when it came to having a significant other.

"I can't let you go in there. My dress is in there and I want to surprise you. Please! Can't you wait until all the girls get ready? You can see it when you walk me down the aisle. It's a really pretty dress. Plus, isn't it also bad luck for the groomsmen to see the bridesmaids' dresses?"

Rukia sheepishly looked at Ichigo before slowly moving his hand away from the doorknob. His hand turned in hers and held her hand in place before he picked it up to his lips and gave her a small kiss on the back of her hand. Rukia started to blush at this action.

While they both had no idea what they were doing and were learning as their relationship progressed, Ichigo made sure to really let her know how much he felt for her. He would try to show some small means of affection for her, usually making Rukia's face turn red. Ichigo knew just showing her how he felt should be enough reason to continue doing this but her blushes were the other reason he did it. It always gave her enough reason to either punch him in the arm or bury her head into his chest. He definitely liked the latter. At that moment unfortunately, Rukia playfully swatted his arm.

"Ow! Fine. I don't want to see the dress. Even if you are making up random rules." His fake frown then turned into a smirk. "But I can't wait to see you. Get ready soon. Don't spend the whole time helping Yoruichi."

With that he pulled her arm, causing her to lose her balance and crash into him. He hugged her tight and they both felt each other's warmth spread through their bodies. They couldn't get used to how well they fit with each. Just like puzzle pieces. Sometimes Ichigo joked that they waited so long to get together just to wait for Rukia to get taller so that they fit perfectly.

Ichigo then placed a hand under Rukia's chin and tilted her face upward. He swiftly captured her lips with his own as she lifted herself on her toes to have a better angle. Her hands wrapped around his neck as she completely leaned into him. Her right hand played with his hair that fell around his neck.

His hair was something she truly loved. When they were still friends, she had always wondered what his bright hair felt like. There had been many nights when she stared out of her closet at Ichigo's sleeping form and wondered if she had the guts to just run her fingers through his hair. She never did. Now, with any chance she got she played with it. When they had kissed the first time, she had felt how soft his hair was and fell in love with the sensation of running her fingers through it. She would find weird reasons to play with his hair after that. Including the time when Senna and her braided his hair while he was asleep, with Rukia shooting secret death glares at Senna. After all, what's his was hers.

Ichigo held Rukia gently, almost as if she was breakable if he held her tighter. She would always be the most precious part of his life and he held her exactly like that. Just tight enough that she wouldn't slip away again but not too tightly. He loved the way she felt in his arms. She was small and slender, her curves fitting perfectly in his arms. She always radiated with warmth that he was addicted to. He would find reasons so touch her and hug her just to feel the warmth. Ichigo's hand started to wander slightly to the hem of Rukia's shirt. He slipped his hand under it to feel her soft skin. The touch made Rukia's breath hitch. Her heart was pounding loudly as she moved closer to him. She worried that he could hear her heart beat.

Ichigo and Rukia were lost in their own little world, in the bedroom of his apartment that they now shared. Senna was delighted to accommodate Rukia in the apartment although she was concerned about where she would stay, a concern that was quickly solved with Ichigo proclaiming that she will be in his room. They had brought Rukia's little mattress from his home for her and placed it close to Ichigo's bed. However, that mattress was hardly used. During a thunderstorm on her third night there, Rukia had crawled into Ichigo's bed and snuggled under his arm. Ichigo was shocked at this action but didn't make her move. Instead he just pulled her in closer and fell asleep while listening to her steady breathing. A few nights after that, they tried sleeping in separate beds but couldn't sleep. They would just make excuses for Rukia to come back to his bed.

_Oy Rukia I'm cold. Come warm me up. _

_Ichigo, my mattress feels extra lumpy today. I'll sleep here tonight. It will probably get better tomorrow. _

Eventually, the mattress was left in a corner, as a space filler as she permanently occupied Ichigo's bed with him. They both couldn't imagine how they ever slept without being in each other's arms. Even right then, in each other's arms, they couldn't believe there was ever a time that this wasn't part of their lives.

_KNOCK_

"Hey lovebirds, can this wait till later? I don't want to be late for my own wedding."

Yoruichi stood at the door with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face. Behind her, her maid of honor Soi-Fon stood looking at a random spot in the ceiling. They heard the excited voices of all the girls who had come to help Yoruichi get ready for the occasion in the living room. Ichigo quickly pulled his arm away from her back and Rukia immediately missed the warmth on her back. They both blushed and looked at two different corners of the room. _Dammit!_ They both thought simultaneously. Ichigo then kissed Rukia lightly on the cheek and rushed out of the apartment but not before he heard Yoruichi say an uncharacteristic thank you.

Since Yoruichi had no place she truly called home other than Urahara's shop she had asked Ichigo and Senna if they would allow her and the rest of the ladies to get ready in their apartment as Urahara had asked Isshin for the Kurosaki household first. They both had enthusiastically agreed but now Ichigo was regretting the idea that he had to go all the way back to his home to get ready before going to the shop for the wedding.

Urahara and Yoruichi had decided to keep the wedding in the training area under the shop. They had decorated the space, with a lot of help from Ichigo and his friends, to make it look decent for a wedding. They invited friends from Soul Society and Karakura town. After looking, at the guest list, they decided that would be the only venue that could hold so many people.

The girls got started with their hair and makeup as Rukia pulled the white dress out of the closet and laid it on the bed. They all started to gush about how beautiful it was and how it truly was Yoruichi's taste. Rukia had a slight smile on her face even though her eyes betrayed her. She wished it was her today, marrying the man of her dreams, with all these women gushing over her. She was really happy for Yoruichi but couldn't stop herself from wondering what it would be like when her big day came. Yoruichi noticed the look on Rukia's face and went up to the girl and whispered, "You are probably next". She then grinned widely before leaving the girl to blush in place.

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><p>Ichigo reached his house only to find it chaotic and filled with the many men of Soul Society. Isshin was thoroughly thrilled to have so many people in his house unlike Ichigo. When he entered, everyone saw that he was the only one still standing in jeans and a T-shirt.<p>

"Unprepared as usual." Byakuya kept a cool look on his face as he insulted Ichigo. Ichigo couldn't help but growl at the man before he remembered the important conversation he needed to have with him. He walked up to Byakuya and stood tall in front of him.

"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Even though the words came out confidently, he was shaking on the inside. Byakuya looked at him with his "better than you" look before he walked out the door, expecting the boy to follow. Ichigo went behind him and noticed how Byakuya always had an air of royalty around him. _Breathe Ichigo. Byakuya isn't perfect. It will be fine. _He reassured himself before he started to speak.

"Byakuya…erm Kuchiki-taicho, I wanted to ask you…" Byakuya held a hand up, gesturing him to stop talking. Ichigo didn't notice the slight shock in Byakuya's face when he addressed him with respect for the first time. He quickly masked the emotion.

"Does this have to do with my sister? I heard that you both decided to start up a relationship. One I certainly do not approve of."

Ichigo's heart fell a bit but he decided to carry through what he had planned on doing.

"Um ya it does have to do with Rukia. I wanted to ask you if I could have your permission to have her hand in marriage." He blurted it all out in a hurry and then held a stern look on his face to make sure Byakuya didn't know how nervous he really was.

"Please say yes! My son is fantastic and Rukia is already like a daughter to me!" They both turned around to see Isshin's head sticking out of the window as he had tears streaming down his face and a goofy grin. He jumped up in joy only to hit his head on the window pane and slink back inside in pain.

"I already do not approve of your relationship with my sister. Why would I give you permission to marry her?" Byakuya shot a cold look at Ichigo who did not falter. He was determined to marry the midget. He had bought the ring a week before and had planned to ask her the day after the wedding. He decided he wasn't going to let anything stop this from happening.

"Because I am the best person for your sister. I will do anything and everything I can to make her happy and you know that. I will protect her with my life and I will do whatever it takes to make her safe. You know she loves me and you should know that she means the world to me." Byakuya's stoic expression softened just a fraction before Ichigo spoke again. "Besides, I am going to marry her anyways. I am just asking for your permission because it would make her happy."

With that Byakuya pulled out his sword and Ichigo barely heard him say the word Bankai before he ran into the house.

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><p>The wedding went off without a hitch. Well, without a hitch considering the bride and groom. Urahara had sneezed on his bride because he had just found that he was allergic to the flowers she was holding. Yoruichi was so happy when they were made as man and wife that she accidentally turned into her cat form. But the smiles on their faces never went away. Ichigo hadn't noticed any of this. His eyes were glued to Rukia.<p>

When he made it to the shop, he was due to escort her down the make shift aisle and as she walked into the arena his breathe hitched. She was wearing a lavender dress with a strap only on one shoulder. Her hair had been put up in a loose bun with a few curls falling around her face. The dress really brought out her eyes which looked around for him as she entered. She saw Ichigo, all cleaned up in a tux and felt herself fall in love again. She melted a little as she saw him staring only at her. She walked up to him and he whispered

"You look gorgeous". Ichigo didn't mean for it to come out so softly but it was all he could get out.

"You look pretty nice yourself strawberry."

Rukia smiled at him, her eyes shining at him. He couldn't help himself but to pull her in close and crash his lips onto hers. His hands cupping her face as he moved his lips against hers. Rukia just stared in shock as he kissed her so publicly, but loosened up and kissed him back. They felt the world around them melt away, as they got sucked into the kiss.

Until they heard someone clear their throat and a hand was placed on Ichigo's shoulder. They broke apart unwillingly to see Urahara smiling brightly.

"Save something for the after party won't you? We need to get the show on the road right now."

He then danced down the "aisle" and took his place as groom. As Ichigo escorted Rukia down the aisle, they couldn't take their eyes off each other, even though they knew everyone was staring at them. When they separated at the front, they paused for second, not wanting to let go. Unfortunately, they knew it had to happen so they both let go and walked to opposite sides of the "altar". However, they never took their eyes off each other. Not after they split up, not when Yoruichi came towards them and not once during the ceremony. They were both lost in each other's eyes, in a different world that they would've much rather been in than the one they currently resided in. When the ceremony ended and everyone scattered signaling the start of the reception, but they both didn't notice until Soi-Fon pushed Rukia along.

The party was in full swing, with everyone trying to converse with everyone else. Ichigo got secluded in a corner as the head taicho had important questions to ask him about his powers. He really wanted to get back to Rukia as soon as possible but it seemed like the head taicho had a lot of questions which were fueled with other questions asked by Kurotschi-taicho. Rukia was looking for Ichigo when she was found by Byakuya and Renji who asked her to follow them to a table. They silently sat there for a little while before Byakuya started to talk.

"Rukia, what are your feelings for the Kurosaki boy?"

Rukia was surprised by the bluntness of the question. She had never officially told her brother that they were dating but she knew word had gotten to him. Now nervous, Rukia thought about what she should say before she spoke.

"I love him very much and he makes me happy?" She said this as a question rather than a statement, even though she was trying hard to hide her nervousness.

"Very well." With that Byakuya got up and walked away from the table leaving Renji and Rukia stunned.

"What was that about?" Rukia asked Renji slowly

"I have no idea. He just asked me to get you and then that came out of nowhere. What did you and Ichigo do?"

"Nothing!" Rukia defensively raised her hands and shook her head from side to side. Renji just grinned and said something about getting some alcohol before he disappeared in the crowd. Rukia sat in her chair motionless, still a little confused by Byakuya's intention behind the question. However, she was relieved to tell him exactly how she felt. She had been feeling uneasy about being Ichigo's girlfriend without really telling her brother what was going on. She let out a small sigh and then plastered a smile back on her face before mingling with the others while scanning the room for the orange haired boy.

Byakuya walked up to the Sou-taicho and Mayuri verbally assaulting a now very annoyed boy. Byakuya looked at Ichigo, and cleared his throat signaling that he was about to speak.

"Were you completely serious about everything you told me before?"

Ichigo looked confused for a second as to what Byakuya was talking about. He then remembered their previous conversation. He knew he loved Rukia more than anything in the world. He nodded his head.

"Yes. I meant every word. Except the not wanting your permission part"

"Fine. I give you permission. If you hurt her even a little, I won't hesitate in killing you."

Byakuya never showed a bit of emotion as he said this to Ichigo. He then left as quickly as he had shown up. Ichigo looked shocked. He had never expected Byakuya to accept. He had planned to get him drunk (somehow) at the party and then tricking him into agreeing as per Senna's idea but he had willingly accepted. He smiled and excused himself to go find his girl.

He found her talking animatedly to Orihime and Ulquiorra. She was waving her hands up and down as she spoke about how she defeated some monster in a video game Ichigo had.

"And it was as simple as pressing the red button with the blue button while jumping and spinning. Super easy!" Rukia knew she had spent days trying to figure that out but no one else had to know that. Ichigo walked up to them and slipped an arm around her tiny waist and gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. Rukia looked up at him with wide eyes before blushing and leaning into him.

"Sorry to interrupt but can I borrow Rukia for one dance?" Ulquiorra simply moved his hand in a way that dismissed them from the conversation as he led Orihime to the dance floor.

"I thought you can't dance? The last time I said we should go dancing you said couldn't"

Rukia poked him on his chest accusingly. Ichigo took her hand in his and led her to the make shift dance floor. He placed his hands around her waist as she placed hers around his neck. Their bodies were pressed so closely against each other that they could feel their warmth radiating.

"I never said I can't dance. Just that I won't. I am making an exception today for you midget."

Rukia placed her head on his chest as they swayed in tune with the music. She felt so blissfully happy in his arms. She knew their future was a little shaky after her assignment in Karakura was done but she felt so safe and happy in the present that she forgot about the future. Ichigo felt her relax in his arms and relaxed a little himself. He had been carrying the ring with him since he bought it, in case a moment just happened before his planned date. He thought about doing it right then but didn't want to take away from Urahara and Yoruichi's day. Both of them, were completely happy and at the same time they both thought – _I am never letting you go again_.

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><p>AN: C'est fini! Thanks for following the story and thanks for the reviews! I know its just an epilogue but I am still going to shamelessly ask for reviews :)

Arigatou!


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